Vincentian Life: Member

Vincentian Life: Member

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 5

WHAT IS SVdP? 7

VINCENTIAN VOCATION 13

WHAT WE DO 15

OTHER THINGS WE DO 17

HOME VISITS 21

HOSPITAL AND REST HOME VISITS 29

HOW OUR WORK IS FUNDED 33

HOW SVdP IS ORGANIZED 39

THE CONFERENCE 41

COUNCILS 45

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION 49

INDEX 53

INTRODUCTION

As a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), you are part of a large international family dedicated to the spiritual growth of all its members and to the needs of God’s poor. We believe that by doing this work we grow closer to God and we are sure that you will find your membership a source of satisfaction and many blessings.

We hope this handbook gives you a sense of belonging to the greater “Vincentian family.” May God bless you in your commitment to grow in holiness, fellowship and service through your work in the St. Vincent de Paul Conference.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please go to www.svdpusa.org – click on SVDP Members along the top of the home page, this will take you to the membership section of the National Council website. Here you will find an enormous amount of information that will help you to grow in your membership as well as help you to better understand the many, varied aspects of the Society. Take time to peruse these documents.

These documents were produced by:

National Council of the United States

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

58 Progress Parkway

Maryland Heights, MO 63043

314-576-3993

www.svdpusa.org

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This member handbook is a result of the efforts of many Vincentians. This document is based on an original Member Handbook that was acquired from our fellow Vincentians in England. It was then revised by the Central Council of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL. With their consent, we have created this additional revision to reflect the varied characteristics of Vincentians throughout the United States. Besides those Vincentians who authored the original and revised document, I would like to thank the following Vincentians for their efforts in the final compilation of this document: Louise Coniglio, Stacy Ehrlich, Irene Frechette, Althea Graham, Bill Henckler, Pam Hudson, Frank Kiolbassa, John Miscik, Marvin Ropert, and Susana Santana. Their edits, insights and comments were invaluable in completing this document.

Michael S. Syslo

Editor

WHAT IS SVdP?

VISION

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an extraordinary organization that addresses the two great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. The Society enables us, with all our weakness and strengths, to grow and become enriched spiritually, by serving those in need.

In this ever-changing world, with poverty increasing in a multitude of different guises, the demands and opportunities for service are many and varied. The work that Blessed Frederic Ozanam and his young friends undertook was radical. They cared for the poor and the suffering and that is the challenge that we also face today.

Membership is a “vocation,” a calling to serve God in His poor. It is an opportunity to put faith into action in a practical way, and in a spiritual context. Unlike some social service agencies, the Society is not simply a material service provider. We should cherish our “spirituality” and do all we can through prayer, reading Scripture, Masses, and retreats to nurture it. Vincentians epitomize the New Evangelization by example of what they do, thereby bringing and inviting everyone to enjoy the Good News. People notice what we say and do, and how we do it. They see how we treat one another for good or ill. The spirit of fraternity among Vincentians should glow like a lamp in the dark for others to see how genuinely we love one another.

OUR PURPOSE

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the United States is part of an international, “lay Catholic organization” actively working in 150 countries for the poor, disadvantaged and marginalized. Inspired by our Principle founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, we strive to bring the love and peace of Christ to those we serve in the spirit of the Gospel message: “I was hungry and you gave me to eat…” (Matthew 25)

No work of charity is foreign to the Society. We are involved in a diverse range of activities, for example:

Support and Friendship

Through “person-to-person” contact, we are committed to respecting the dignity of those we assist and to fostering their self-respect. In providing material assistance and other support, we assume “confidentiality” at all times, and endeavor to establish relationships based on trust and friendship.

Promoting Self-Sufficiency

We believe it is not enough to provide short-term support. Those we serve must also be helped to achieve “self-sufficiency” wherever possible, and the sense of worth this can provide. When the problems we encounter are beyond our competence, we build bridges of support with others more specialized than we are.

Working for Social Justice

We are committed to identifying the root cause of poverty, to promote “social justice” and in “solidarity” with the poor and disadvantaged, we advocate and work for the changes needed to create a more just and caring society.

Knowing No Boundaries

The Society respects the religious liberty and value of all God’s people and will help anyone without discrimination of any kind. We are totally committed to relieving poverty and distress of our brothers and sisters overseas, by sharing with them what we have in abundance.

Our Objectives

1. The growth in holiness of each member (and to aid those we serve to grow in their faith)

2. A spirit of fellowship and friendship among members (as well as with those we serve)

3. Serving those in need

HISTORY

Founding of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

A young student, Frederic Ozanam, and a group of five other students founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris in 1833, with their mentor, Joseph Emmanuel Bailly. They set up the first local group, which we call a “Conference” to show that their faith inspired them to love and care for others; and to learn about, deepen and be strengthened in their faith, so as to grow closer to God.

International Beginnings

After its humble beginnings in Paris, the Society grew to over 2,500 Conferences around the world during the lifetime of Frederic Ozanam. Since then, the Society has expanded dramatically. Today there are more than 47,000 Conferences with more the 770,000 members working in 150 countries throughout the world. The Patron of the Society is St. Vincent de Paul who was chosen as Patron because of:

1. the initiative he showed in seeking and finding the spiritually and materially poor;

2. the way he organized others to help him work; and

3. the deep spiritual vision which enabled him to see Christ in the poor and to love them so profoundly that they could sense God’s love for them in the encouraging words and practical help given to them.

Vincent de Paul was all set for a comfortable life as a chaplain to the aristocracy when he realized that God wanted him to work with the poor that he saw all around him. He had energy and was full of ideas for involving others in his work. The Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity were but two of the responses to needs which Vincent had a burning desire to alleviate. It is not surprising, therefore, that our Society took St. Vincent as its Patron.

Frederic Ozanam, who was beatified on August 22, 1997 by St. (Pope) John Paul II, was a remarkable man. As a student in Paris in the 1830’s, he was a committed Christian and Catholic voice. He enjoyed debate and argument and was challenged to prove the worth of his faith with the words, “Show us your works!”

He organized his friends to assist the poor in Paris. This was the period of the revolution graphically described by Victor Hugo in “Les Miserables.”

The work grew, as did the numbers of young people wishing to help. One of the Society’s prayers states “that we should never claim that our works spring from ourselves alone.” St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic Ozanam each worked with other people and never sought glory for themselves. They were ever at the “service” of God’s poor. This is the high ideal of the Society of which you are a member. High office means nothing. The National President is a Conference member like anyone else and makes visits as directed by the President of his/her own local Conference.

American Beginning

The first St. Vincent de Paul meeting in the United States took place in St. Louis, Missouri in 1845, just 12 years after the beginning in France. As the Catholic population expanded, it rapidly became a powerful force in the nation. The Society was at the forefront of the development of the Catholic Church’s social justice message. The Society was also instrumental in the founding of Catholic Charities. By 1905, there were 200 Conferences and 3,000 brothers. By 1925, membership had risen to 6,500. At the time of the celebration of 150 years of caring in 1995, there were 4,400 Conferences with 60,000 members in almost every state in the Union. From being an exclusively male Society until 1968, 45% of members today are female. The scope of the work of the Society here, as elsewhere, has expanded tremendously since its founding.

Today

You are part of the family which, in the United States alone, reaches out each week of the year to about 230,000 people in need. We do this by visiting them in their homes, hospitals and care centers, or by providing accommodations for them. The Society also runs thrift stores, dining rooms, food pantries, homeless shelters, transitional housing for the elderly and disabled and many other projects.

Some Conferences specialize in visiting hospitals while others visit the incarcerated or their families. There are youth Conferences in schools and parishes, as well as young adult Conferences in universities. Many Conferences twin with other Conferences in Mexico, Central America and other parts of the world, providing money for them, exchanging letters and praying for one another. The Society operates a number of vacation initiatives, including summer camps for inner city youth.

Social Justice

Nowadays, the Society in the United States sees its role increasing in working to remove the causes of injustice, as well as dealing with its effects. The Society responds to government plans, pointing out the effects that proposed legislation might have on the poorer members of society. We do this in close consultation with other Catholic and Christian groups. While avoiding partisan politics, we speak on behalf of the poor, who themselves often have no voices.

To enable us to do this, it is very important that we record efficiently and effectively the works we perform at all levels, so that government and other authorities can see that we know what we are talking about from experience. We also encourage communities to improve their quality of life. So you have joined an organization that has broadened considerably the scope of its activities over more than 170 years in the United States, while still retaining its fundamental links with its beginning and its original aims.

Systemic Change

A relatively recent change has occurred in the emphasis of the works performed by members of the Society in the U.S. Much of our work has been focused on providing direct assistance to those in need. The recent change is related to what is called systemic change. We not only provide for direct assistance but we work toward helping those we serve make their way out of poverty toward a state of self-sufficiency.

A specific methodology has been developed which helps our members better understand what affects the thinking of those living in poverty. The better we understand the people who come to us for help (without stereotyping), the better we can serve them. We have also developed programs that help those living in poverty to gradually work their way up.

VINCENTIAN VOCATION

PURPOSE OF THE SOCIETY

The purpose/intentions (essential objectives) of the first members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul were:

1. (Holiness) To bear witness to Christ and His Church by showing that the faith of Christians inspires them to work for the good of humanity.

2. (Fellowship) To bring together people of goodwill and to assist them by mutual example and true friendship in drawing nearer to Christ. This fulfills his essential precept, namely, the love of God in the person of their fellow men and women.

3. (Service) To establish a personal contact between its members and those who suffer, visiting them in their homes and bringing them the most efficacious and brotherly aid possible.

The goals of the Society are just as valid today. The Vincentian vocation leads to action: the Society is not just a caring group with spiritual trimmings.